Festivals, Parades, and Activities
Fredericksburg always has something going on, and it is almost always family friendly! Check out some of the best festivals, parades, and kid focused activites that happen throughout the year! Many of them benefit charitable organizations and scholorships in our Fredericksburg community, so it is fun you can feel good about!
Monthly:
Little Pioneers - Little Pioneers programs bring Gillespie County history to life with hands-on, interactive activities like blacksmithing, quilting, weaving, animal husbandry, stitching, baking, and candle making.Check the website for each month's activities! Activities are more frequent during the summer months!
January:
Kid Fish Day - Usually the 2nd Saturday in January. Kids under 17 can fish without a license in a well stocked Creek!
February:
Daddy Daughter Dance - Usually the first Friday of February, the Annual Daddy Daughter Dance has local girls and their dads dressed up and cutting a rug! Going to be here and want to attend? Tickets usually go on sale mid December!
March:
St. Patrick's Day Coin Hunt - Kid's 12 and under can hunt our Marktplatz Playground for a green coin that can be traded for a fun prize! Find a little piece of leprechan's magic right here in the Burg!
Pioneer Museum Living History Week - Spring Break brings five full days of living history! Check the website for more details and make sure your kiddo gets to experience pioneer days.
Touch-a-Truck - Usually held on the 3rd Thursday of March, Touch a Truck gives kids the opportunity to explore all the city's departments and explore fun cars, trucks, and equiptment. Clear River provides yummy ice cream and there is usually a food truck with kid friendly fare! This is a favorite event every year!
April:
Lions Club Annual Pancake Breakfast - The Fredericksburg Lions Club hosts the Annual Easter Saturday Pancake Breakfast on the day before Easter from 7am to 11am at Kinder Halle on Marketplatz! $10.00 a plate for all-you-can-eat pancakes, sausage, and coffee/orange juice! It is Cash only, so hit the ATM before you come! See you there! (Food tickets available at event, or contact your favorite Fredericksburg Lion!)
Pioneer Museum Easter Egg Hunt - Held at 10AM the Saturday before Easter. Hunt for eggs in each of 4 age group areas for children 10 and under on the museum grounds. Stay for light refreshments and a picture with the Easter Bunny! Locals tip: the eggs go fast, so plan to arrive a little early to get the best chance at filling your little one's basket!
May:
Jaycees Crawfish Festival - Held on Memorial Day Weekend each year, the Crawfish Festival boasts music, a craft fair, food of all kinds, and of course, crawfish!! The Crawfish Festival is a fundraiser for the local Jaycees and proceeds are used to help youth organizations, charitable groups, and those in need within our community in Texas.
June:
Stonewall Peach Jamboree - Just a small drive to Stonewall, The Stonewall Peach JAMboree is always the 3rd full weekend in June; beginning with a Rodeo and Dance on Friday night and ending with a Rodeo and Dance on Saturday night. Check the Stonewall Chamber of Commerce website for more information and scheduled events!
Peach Jamboree Parade - Another favorite parade, the Peach Jamboree parade begins at the Stonewall Elementary School at 10AM the 3rd Saturday in June, heads east on Peach Street and moves counterclockwise on the block formed by Peach Street, St. Francis Street, Ranch Road 1, and Freestone Street, and returns to the Elementary School grounds.
July:
Fourth of July Parade - Bring some lawn chairs and get there early! The 4th of July parade begins at 10AM and heads East on Main to the Nimitz Museum and then U Turns back all the way to Bowie! No matter which side of Main you find yourself, you will have a top notch view! Locals tip: Bring water and sunscreen, Texas is HOT in July!!
Fourth of July Fireworks -The City of Fredericksburg's fireworks show at Lady Bird Johnson Municipal Park on July 4 is truly magical. Several viewing areas are available inside the park and at the Gillespie County Fair Grounds. Bring the family and your lawn chairs. Fireworks start around 9:30 p.m.
August:
Gillespie County Fair Parade - The Gillespie County Fair Parade is a smaller parade, but with no less magic than the larger parades in town! The parade starts behind the courthouse and travels east to S. Washington, then turns and goes west on Main to Edison St. So just like the others, there isn't a bad seat in town! Bring your lawn chair, water, and sunscreen and get ready to experience some small town charm!
Gillespie County Fair - Come enjoy the oldest continuous County Fair in Texas! The Gillespie County Fair has everything you love about a fair, and then some! From carnival rides and food, to booths, live music, to FFA and 4H exibits and pari-mutuel horse racing, you can spend the whole weekend here and not see everything! Check the website for schedule information!
September:
Lutheran Fall Fest - This fun fall festival benefits Cross Trails Ministry, a Hill Country Lutheran Camp. With a craft fair, food trucks, a trackless train, bounce houses, and a kid's carnival, this is fun for the whole family for a great cause!
October:
Oktoberfest - Oktoberfest in Fredericksburg is 100% family friendly! Kinderpark is a great place to start! Kiddos can play games and win fun prizes all guided by youth from a local congregation! On Saturday morning, people line up in front of Marktplatz to do the Chicken Dance! And of course, like any good festival, there is shopping, food, live music and dancing, and so much more! There is even a family dirndle and lederhosen contest! Oktoberfest proceeds go toward supporting our local arts communities and generous scholorships benefiting local students!
Bestfest - Bestfest is another local favorite!! Admission includes a German sausage plate and tea. Polka and country bands, dancing, multi-gun raffle, Kawasaki mule raffle, bucket raffles, and children's activities are just some of the activities in this fun one day festival! All proceeds benefit the local Knights of Columbus charitable givings.
Halloween at the Firestation - Each Halloween, children come from the whole community to the Firestation to see the firetrucks, meet the firefighters, get tons of candy, and participate in a costume contest! It is the best of small town Halloween fun!
November:
St. Martin's Day Celebration - A fun, free event to benefit Food 4 Kids! Children dress in red, participate in storytime, make a lantern, and then participate in a kid's parade around the Pioneer Museum grounds collecting sweet treats! Come participate in this fun German tradition!
Christmas Nights of Lights - Fredericksburg is a magical place for the holidays, highlighted by Fredericksburg's Christmas Nights of Lights, which takes place each evening at Marktplatz at 6 p.m. Experience a 10-minute audio presentation, featuring the story of the town’s German heritage, holiday carols and concluding with a countdown to the lighting of Marktplatz. The lighting of Marktplatz takes place nightly from just after Thanksgiving until the first week of January!
December:
Light the Night Christmas Parade - Sponsored by The Fredericksburg Chamber of Commerce and HEB, this lighted night parade is gorgeous! The parade begins at 6:30PM and follows Fredericksburg's typical parade route. The parade does U-Turn, so both sides of the street get prime viewing of the gorgeously lighted floats! With over 100 entries, including Santa and Mrs. Claus, this is absolutely a magical event!
Afterglow at Peppermint Platz - After the Light the Night Parade, head to Marktplatz to take a picture with Santa and Mrs. Claus, get something yummy from numerous food trucks, and check out booths from local non-profit organizations.
The Singing Christmas Tree - The Singing Christmas tree is usually the first Saturday and Sunday in December. The Pioneer Museum hosts this festive tradition on their grounds. This one-hour Christmas concert kicks off with the youth choir from the Fredericksburg Music Academy, followed by local volunteers celebrating the German tradition, "Der Singende Weihnachtsbaum." It features a 30-foot tall decorated Christmas tree filled with singers. Guests are asked to bring their own chairs and a cozy blanket. Gates open at the Milam Street entrance at 5:30pm and singing begins at 6:15.
Eisbahn - Benefiting Heritage School, Fredericksburg is so proud to host a real ice skating rink! Open from mid November until early January right in the center of town at Marktplatz, your kids, and the whole family, will love zooming around the Eisbahn!
Kinderfest - Kinderfest has always been a local favorite, but we love when visitors to our town are able to join us for this German Christmas tradition! Children bring their stockings to hang on the giant fireplace, and then go enjoy music, stories, crafts, refreshments, and time to sit on Santa's lap and take a picture! Then, leave with a stocking that has been magically filled with traditional German goodies, like an orange, some candy, and tiny toys! This is a come and go event.
New Year's Eve Ball Drop - Fredericksburg knows how to do family friendly New Year's Eve! Featuring children’s amusements, face painting, music, dance performances, free activities, arts and crafts, and concludes with a ball drop on the Square at 6:30 pm.